Simulation Directions
The scenario in this role-playing exercise allows learners to represent different perspectives about how to deal with corruption and build strong governance in a post-conflict country, as well as consider the responsibilities of members of the society and also the international community. In their roles, the participants will make recommendations for steps that should be taken to improve the chances that the country will move toward sustainable peace.
The exercise can help learners think through the many concerns and interests that come into play when there are competing needs and priorities and can provide them with a case to test some of their ideas about how the parties involved behave. After the role-play, use the debriefing questions on page 33 and 34 to explore additional ideas.
Required
Time required: One or two class periods (roughly 80 minutes). Preparations for reading and understanding the scenario and roles can be given as an overnight assignment to save class time.
Structure
Seven roles are included here. Each role can be assigned to multiple participants if the group is larger than seven. The members of each role will be a delegation from the organization they represent. The members of the delegations will need to meet prior to the panel session to come to an agreement about how they will play their role . We recommend that the instructor play the role of the moderator.
Procedure
1. Distribute the simulation scenario and a role to each participant. Explain to them that they will participate in a role-play exercise and that they will begin by reading the scenario you’ve distributed and studying their roles. The instructor or a facilitator will play the role of the UN representative and moderate the panel discussion.
Before convening the formal meeting to come up with recommendations, allow participants time to get familiar with their role. If more than one person is assigned each role, the group should be broken down into teams of participants playing the same roles (for example, all participants assigned to Role 2 should be in one team and Role 3 in another) to give participants an opportunity to help each other understand the problems and their roles. Within each group, the participants should discuss what they want to accomplish in their role, and what difficulties or dangers would result if they cannot accomplish their goals. Also, they should discuss the important issues, goals, and strategies from the perspective of their roles. (15 minutes)
1. Review the simulation background with the participants and clarify the task of the discussion panel for them. Tel them that you will play the role of the moderator for the panel meeting. Establish the guidelines for speaking listed in Role 1. (5 minutes)
2. Convene the panel meeting and begin the discussion. (35 minutes total)
a. Each member of the panel should state his or her role, interests, and stakes. At this point the different perspectives and interests should become clear to all of the participants. (10 minutes)
b. The participants should begin to discuss the issues, with the group leader serving as a moderator (Role 1). The moderator does not participate in the discussion, but only helps the group stay on topic. The participants should define the problems together, highlight key issues, and discuss solutions.
c. After some discussion, the moderator may choose to break the group into two—one group addressing governance, corruption, and the election and the second group addressing the issues of governance, corruption, and development. (25 minutes)
3. At the end of the role-play, the instructor or group leader should conduct a debriefing to help participants explore what they have learned. (20 minutes)
Additional Debriefing Questions